Dear Mystery Rapid (a love letter)

by goatlove

Mystery Rapid
Under the bridge
Machias, ME

Dear Mystery Rapid,

I like the looks of you. Sure, maybe you’re not as “impressive” as Bad Little Falls, the Class VI (?) tear-your-legs-off-and-leave-you-for-dead waterfall. You’re the modest sister in comparison. The humble but hardly quiet, raft-able rapid.

You look good to me. Fast, big, technical, and dare I say… a challenge??? Well, for me you would be, considering my skills are in dire need of WD40. I would need a partner-in-crime to tackle you. Does that person exist in these parts? Alas! I know not.

Is there a colloquial name for you, elusive rapid on the Machias River at Bad Little Falls? Do people acknowledge you or do they shun you, merely glancing at your bounty before letting their eyes slip away and settle on your much more expansive counterpart? Well, rest assured, my eyes are fixed on you… picking out your curvy lines, elusive pour-overs, bold and bossy rocks, suction-cup holes, and inviting wave trains. You tempt me, you devil.